executive order

noun

: regulation sense 2b

Examples of executive order in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The initial effort was part of a broader Biden administration executive order to expand federal law enforcement use of body cameras. — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026

The move comes after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Trump reached out to Apple directly to request the update after the president signed an executive order renaming the lake. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026

Although Congress doesn’t pass many laws these days, the White House has been a furious tempest of executive orders. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

And as relations break down with Canada, the president signing an executive order renaming Lake Ontario, a name held for more than 400 years, Lake America. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for executive order

• boarder
• border
• corder
• warder
• camcorder
• disorder
• recorder
• reorder
• suborder
• transborder

Legal Definition

executive order

noun

: an order issued by a government's executive on the basis of authority specifically granted to the executive branch (as by the U.S. Constitution or a congressional act)

the National Security Agency was created by an executive order

compare proclamation, statute

Note: An executive order from the president does not have the force of law until it is printed in the Federal Register.